Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-23
TALK ON STEEL.
AN INTERESTING SUBJECT DISCUSSED In
AN ENTERTAINING MANNER,
Last Evening at the Young Mems Christian AssOcia'
ton Rooms by Mr.. 7. H. Wlhams-A
Brief Synopsis Of the Talk.

The Hall of the Young Mems Christian
Association was filed, last evening, with
an audience of gentlemen assembled 10
listen TO Mr.. F. II. Williams, metallurgist
of the Riverside steel plant, in a practical
talk on 's,eel," and although last, it was
nv M meils the least interesting Of the
series given at the Y. NJ. c. A, the past
winter. IIr. Williams began by remark
inc thai 70 ost of the manufacturers of use
full arts, which are unfamiliar to US, are
surroundeiin our minds with more OF less
of mystery. We see the products, q are
nleased with their beauty or utility, butthe
nroeess hy ~Whichthey are brought into the
state in which we see them may be but
6;mly understood or wholly a mystery. II
nav be that it is so with regard to the
Manufacture of steel in the minds OF som
here TO night, and in this talk the pupose
will he TO dispel the mystery of steel max
ing, In part at least.
The speaker then showed a table oil eie-
meptary substances that enter into tho
manufacture of steel, with which to more
fully give O definition of the term steel. ii
we were to 90 thirty years back the mean
ing would be found to be an alloy o.
iron and carbon that hardened when
heated and plunged into cold water, 1T
nrincipal use being cutting tools. From
the date of Bessemer's invention, thirty
wears ago. quantities, varieties and uses Of
| steel have largely increased, qualities sc
widely differing in different kinds that tho
old definition no longer answers, but au'
thorities yet fail TO agree upon a good den
milton.
He then referred to q table of elements
showing the relations OF cast iron, steeI
and wrought iron to each other, and gave
a brief outline of the early history OF thu
article, the Bible mention OF 1t and IL
manufacture and use among the Egyptians
He described the steel manufactured by the
Hindoos. which was known as WOotz, and
which broughtthe fabulous priceof S5O,Oo
per ton. In the Sixteenth century steel
was made by bars of wrought iron being
immersed into a bath of molten pig iron
which introduced into it "a suthcien'
amount Of carbon to form steel. Blister
steel was also described. In l74O, Hunts
man. An English jeweler, discovered a pro-
cess pf making steel for watch springs,
which greatly reduced its cost. Other
methods were patented but cementatlon
and Huntsman's were the principal ones
in England at the time Bessemer began his
experiments. ,.,
He then told of the manne in which
Henry Bessemer first became interested In
discoveringa method of making steel, his
early efforts to improve iron and later his
discovery of the effect Of air In hot
iron. which ut last resulted in having the
process patented in 1856, from which time
il has been steadily improved as well as
the apparatus for its manufacture. The
sneaker then went on to describe how
Bessemcr pig iron was manufactured, the
ores used. etc, etc, following this with a
graphic description of the manufacture OF
Bessemer steel and the apparatus and
machinery used, from the time it is put
into a blast furnace until it comes out OF
the steel plant ready for the various uses
for which it is intended. Mr.. Williams
had a number of tables prepared to assist
in his ex plantations. He also had a nina
ture steel converter prepared enabling HIM
to thoroughly show its workings. HIS
analysis and explanations were very
thorough and interesting and all present
were highly entertained by the talk, a full
account OF which would make excellent
reading did not the scarcity OF space for
bid. ,.,
At the conclusion of the talk, which
lasted over an hour, MI. Walter RinehaIt
announced that it was the last Of this
seasons course, and that next year n
similar course would be given. He also
spoke ofthe interest the citizens Of Wheel.
ing have manifested in the institution and
hoped that it will be continually increased.